Tim Chakravorty , Feb 15, 2004; 11:41 a.m.
I wanted to re-grease the shaft on my 1280 along which the printhead
slides. I applied some Pennzoil general purpose grease available at
the auto section of Wal*Mart, but apparently had over greased it and
the head would slide all the way to the ends - I suppose the motor
driving the head couldn't put out enough braking power to stop the
head when it reached the edge of the paper.
I wiped out the lubricant and this time I want to use one with the
right/recommended viscosity. Anyone has any idea what specification
to use ? Thanks much.
Ed Skibeki , Feb 15, 2004; 11:55 a.m.
Response to HELP ! What grease/lubricant for Epson 1280 ??
I just liberally spray WD40 all over everything inside the lid. Gears, print head, shaft... the whole thing. That way I'm sure to get lubricant on something that needs it.
I've noticed that some of my prints come out a bit oily after this treatment, but I figure it's a small price to pay for a thoroughtly lubed machine.
Hal Bissinger , Feb 15, 2004; 12:02 p.m.
Response to HELP ! What grease/lubricant for Epson 1280 ??
Probably time for a new printer. They don't make those things to be fixed as evidenced by the "fussyness" of a simple thing like lubrication. They want you to buy a new one. If you ever do find the right grease it will probably cost almost as much as the printer in the quantities you would have to purchase it in.
Steven Clark , Feb 15, 2004; 12:11 p.m.
Response to HELP ! What grease/lubricant for Epson 1280 ??
You might also want to check that you didn't pop the optical tracking strip, as this would give you similar symptoms.
John Falkenstine , Feb 15, 2004; 01:33 p.m.
Response to HELP ! What grease/lubricant for Epson 1280 ??
Well first of all, grease of any kind is a dirt magnet, and is NOT a good lubricant for a printing head that has to move back and forth rapidly. WD40 is NOT a lubricant, but a water displacing agent. I would try and clean out all of this stuff using medical alcohol swabs which you can buy by the box at your local Walgreens or whatever, and if the grease has really splattered around (might even be on the paper rollers) clean that out as well. Try and get some feedback from Epson as to what to put on that shaft. If you can't get any help my recommendation would be an absolute minute quantity of sewing machine oil (with a Q-tip)
Andrew Robertson , Feb 15, 2004; 05:13 p.m.
I like to use barium ion grease, like for a tractor.
Stuff never comes off. You could paint-on tattoos with it.
Matthew Currie , Feb 15, 2004; 06:58 p.m.
A couple of old printers I've owned, that were apparently expected to run for long enough to need a little maintenance before they were thrown away, had instructions that suggested that you lubricate the shaft with a couple of drops of oil. I use light sewing-machine oil. It really only takes a couple of drops.
WD-40 is a lubricant despite what some people claim. It just isn't a very GOOD lubricant. It's a very light lubricant with solvent properties, but it does lubricate, at least for a while. It does not all evaporate. Of course you could say the same of diesel fuel. It doesn't make it the correct lubricant for the job. If you doubt that it's a lubricant, though, spray something with it. Is it slippery? Does it stay slippery for a reasonable time? If the answer is yes, it's a lubricant.
Mike Zallini , Feb 15, 2004; 08:47 p.m.
OMFG never use WD40 on a printer or anything else that you don't keep in your garage. As others have said, it's not a lubricant. But what hasn't been said is that it turns sticky after a time, and is just awful. Plus, you inevitably get that stuff on things you never intended.
Ok, your printer rail. MG Electronics makes a clear silicone grease that is just excellent. I use it to lubricate the slide pots in the audio consoles at the radio station I work at. A little dab only, and it should work nicely. You could also try Lubriplate, which is labeled as being for garage door openers but it is white, clean and nice & light. I use it for lubricating VCR guides and DAT machine guides.
Or, you could just wipe it down with a dry paper towel and leave it dry. These rails are so highly polished they really don't need much lubrication.
Maureen M , Feb 15, 2004; 10:49 p.m.
Off topic, but interesting:
From the WD40.com website:
"WD-40 literally stands for Water Displacement, 40th attempt. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed WD-40 back in 1953."
Other pages on the website also makes various references to the product being a light lubricant, plus reference its ability to lift grease in a cleansing fashion. Hmmm... a lubricant that removes grease... one of the mysteries of the universe...
Matthew Currie , Feb 15, 2004; 11:50 p.m.
"Hmmm... a lubricant that removes grease... one of the mysteries of the universe..."
Not really. Lubricants vary. Many things that aren't meant primarily as lubricants have some lubricity - e.g diesel fuel. WD 40 has some lubricating properties along with its solvent and water displacement properties. You could lubricate your printer rails with diesel fuel and they would stay wet with it for some time (longer if it's summer blend). It would be a bad idea, as would WD40, but to say "WD40 isn't a lubricant" is contrary to experience. It is. Detergent motor oil will remove grease too, by the way. Grease is just oil mixed with a saponifier to keep it from flowing too fast.
